How NOT to Recover Well After Plastic Surgery

June 27, 2014

You’ll probably find tons of information online on how to recover quickly and safely from plastic surgery — from choosing an experienced plastic surgeon to making sure that you have enough time allotted for recovery. Here at our Encino plastic surgery practice, we believe that it’s equally important that you have knowledge on what NOT to do to ensure healthy, safe and quick healing following surgery on your end.

1. You smoke before surgery.

By and large, we instruct our patients to quit smoking at least 4 to 6 weeks before surgery for the following reasons: smoking can significantly delay healing and increase one’s likelihood of developing complications post-surgery. Both of these unwanted effects have to do with the nicotine in cigarettes which can constrict blood vessels and consequently reduce oxygen supply to the rest of the body. If you’re a non-smoker, it may be best to avoid secondhand smoke as much as possible.

2. You take medications and supplements that can increase your chances of bleeding during and after surgery. Medications to avoid include those that contain aspirin, ibuprofen, and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Moreover, it is best to avoid green tea, Vitamin E, garlic, ginger, fish oil, echinacea, ginseng, and flaxseed as they have been also shown to increase one’s risk of bleeding.

3. You resume exercise too early after plastic surgery.

Although we often emphasize the importance of physical activity and exercise following plastic surgery, particularly when it comes to body-contouring procedures such as a tummy tuck, we would like to discourage exercising too early after your surgery. While you may feel that you already have enough energy to return back to the gym, it may be best to allow your incisions to fully heal first. Moreover, Dr. Malamet can provide you with a go ahead-signal during your follow-up visit.

To learn more about achieving optimum outcomes from the plastic surgery of your choice, call us at 818.380.3130 or fill out this contact form to set up an appointment with us. We look forward to your visit!

Stock model images are used throughout this website and are for illustrative purposes only. All before-and-after photos and patient testimonials on our site are from actual patients, and have been published with permission. Individual results may vary.